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Struggling U.S. airlines will get more freedom to stop flying to some U.S. cities amid scant demand from passengers who’ve filed thousands of complaints to U.S. regulators about carrier refund policies, the Transportation Department said May 12.

U.S. airlines are grappling with one outcome of the deep schedule cuts they’ve made in response to near-zero travel demand: Many of the flights that remain are starting to fill up, complicating social distancing guidelines and angering some passengers.

U.S. airline stocks plummeted May 4 after Warren Buffett dumped his stakes in the four biggest carriers, saying the industry’s prospects had been upended by the coronavirus pandemic.

A recovery in demand for flights within China is stuck at about 45% of pre-coronavirus levels as people continue to shun leisure trips after the outbreak.

The collapse in commercial air travel amid global coronavirus restrictions has an unexpected casualty — gold miners looking to transport their metal to refineries.

U.S. airlines sank after United Airlines Holdings Inc. said travel demand was “essentially zero,” with no sign of improvement in the near term.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is not budging on strict repayment guidelines for airlines that want taxpayer aid, according to people familiar with the matter, dashing the industry’s hopes for leniency.

U.S. airlines’ desperate bid for $29 billion in government rescue cash is being frustrated by a lengthening process and demands that companies provide more detailed financial information, people familiar with the situation said.

The federal government ordered airlines accepting financial aid to maintain minimal service levels to cities they served before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the transportation system, but made adjustments for low-cost carriers and those that fly to some destinations only part of the year.

Airbus SE is pausing production at two German sites and its factory in Alabama to adjust to a demand slowdown and supply issues related to the coronavirus pandemic.